ATLANTA — Forget subtle. And feelings. Manager Clint Hurdle has. He sent his latest message with the lineup today, benching shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for swinging at a first pitch in his last at-bat Tuesday night. He grounded into a doubleplay in the 8-1 loss the Atlanta Braves.

Tulowitzki isn’t the first to do this. But Hurdle has made an example of Tulowitzki before, sitting him earlier this season when he struggled offensively. The move will make more sense to me if Hurdle is consistent with this. He might have been throughout the season, because he doesn’t have to give every reason for sitting a guy. But given the way Tulowitzki’s playing defense right now, the Rockies’ best team is with him out there. Again, not my decision. And I will add more to this after speaking with Hurdle.

Tulowitzki has five hits in his last 19 at-bats, and is batting .286 this month. He was replaced in the lineup by Omar Quintanilla. Atkins also will start at third base for the first time since Friday.

Hurdle talked in spring training about curbing his team’s appetite for swinging early in counts. And during the first week in Tucson, he installed rules to emphasize this, namely that a hitter could not swing at the first pitch if the previous hitter had.

That didn’t apply here, as Dexter Fowler walked in front of Tulowitzki.

Utility infielder Omar Quintanilla has quietly bided his time, getting a late inning here, a pinch hit there. Today, he gets his first start of the season. Considering the Rockies’ struggles, a little new blood in the lineup sure couldn’t hurt.

Clint Hurdle, in a spry mood this morning, kidded about Quintanilla’s first start.

“His mother called and said she wanted him to start,” Hurdle said. “It’s Mother’s Day and I’m all for doing what mothers ask.”

“Q” enters the game with two hits in just 10 at-bats.

For the record, the Rockies are 6-10 all-time on Mother’s Day and have lost three straight.

The Rockiestrot out their 27th different lineup in 29 games, a sure sign they are struggling to find the right combination.

Brad Hawpe bats cleanup again, with Garrett Atkins in the fifth spot. His .218 average remains one of the most perplexing and disheartening statistics of this perplexing and disheartening season.

After undergoing a mini-makeover to eliminate a loop in his swing Dexter Fowler is back in the starting lineup, leading off. FYI, he hasn’t stolen a base since swiping five against the Padres on Padres on April 27. Of course, he hasn’t been on base much to get a chance to steal a base.

After being dominated by the Marlins’ Josh Johnson Saturday night, the Rockies face sinkerball right-hander Chris Volstad this afternoon.

At the plate: In what was likely Scott Podsednik’s swan song with the Rockies, the outfielder went 2-for-4 with a double. Clint Barmes regained his stroke, going 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Omar Quintanilla, who made the club as a utility infielder, hit a triple, but was thrown about 5 feet from home plate when third-base coach Rich Dauer waved Quintanilla around home, looking for an inside-the-park home run.

On the mound: Starter Jorge De La Rosa, now scheduled to start the Rockies’ second regular-season home game against the Phillies on April 11, had his best outing of spring.
With superb fastball command and a deceptive changeup, he held the White Sox to one unearned run over 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine. He gave up seven hits, but only a double by Jim Thome was clubbed hard.

“I don’t really care about the strikeouts,” De La Rosa said. “I just wanted to pitch good with fastball command. I felt much better with my rhythm today.”

Closer candidate Manuel Corpas threw one clean inning, striking out one. His spring ERA rests at 1.00. Manager Clint Hurdle said that he’s already picked his closer – either Corpas or Huston Street — but won’t announce his decision until Thursday. However, there are growing indications that Street is going to get the job.

In the field: With De La Rosa keeping the ball low in the zone, the Rockies infield was kept busy. The Rockies turned four double plays today.

Up next: The Rockies travel to Surprise, Ariz. to play the Royals. It is the Rockies’ final trip up to the Phoenix area for a Cactus League game.
Scheduled Rockies starter: Aaron Cook
Scheduled Royals starter: Gil Meche.

All signs point toward Dexter Fowler landing on the Rockies’ roster. The wait will end today with general manager Dan O’Dowd telling me that decisions on the bench have been made and will be announced after the game. He would not confirm that Fowler had made it, deferring to manager Clint Hurdle.

He did say that the Rockies will carry 12 pitchers. That means four starters and likely eight relievers. A decision on whether to carry fifth starter Franklin Morales as a long reliever to start the season has not been made. He won’t be needed until April 21. So that means he can go to Triple-A and start — which seems more likely — leaving a spot for an extra reliever like Matt Belisle, at least temporarily.

I have confirmed that the Rockies have expressed interest in Tampa starter Jason Hammel, and continue to monitor that situation along with several others regarding pitchers who are out of options and on roster bubbles. Another pitcher that will likely land on the Rockies’ radar is the Cubs’ Chad Gaudin, who is being shopped. The Rockies have liked him the last few years. He could fit as a long reliever if added.

Multiple players I spoke with during batting practice today said they believe Fowler is on the team. That would leave Yorvit Torrealba, Ian Stewart, Jeff Baker, Fowler and Dan Ortmeier or Omar Quintanilla on the bench. Quintanilla is out of options, and would have to be exposed to waivers to be sent down. While Baker is on the trading block, there is nothing happening right now. The Astros’ possibility ended when they acquired utilityman Jeff Keppinger from the Reds today.

If Fowler makes it, Scott Podsednik would be the odd man out. Podsednik can opt out of his contract if not on the 25-man roster by Friday. Same goes for catcher Sal Fasano, who won’t make the team if Torrealba is not traded.

Phoenix – Comfortable in his green and gold, Matt Holliday starts in left field and hits cleanup for the A’s today as they host the Rockies.

“I feel like I’m in a good place,” Holliday said before the game. “I feel healthy, everything’s good.”

He’ll face Rockies left-hander Greg Smith, one of the three players involved in the trade in November. Another former A’s player, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, starts in left for the Rockies. It’s his first game since March 21. Gonzalez strained his rib cage the cut his chances of making the team.

Brad Hawpe (strained hamstring) is finally back in the starting lineup for Colorado. He starts in right and hits third.

In a major league note, first baseman Joe Koshansky, waived by the Rockies on Thursday, was claimed by the Texas Rangers today.

Attention all shoppers: Jeff Baker is starting at third base today for the Rockies. We’re talking to you Pittsburgh, Houston, Philadelphia, and, to a lesser degree, Atlanta and the Yankees.

The Rockies are exploring moving Baker given their depth. He’s out of options, it’s going to be hard for him to make the team so now’s the time to get something. Baker makes a lot of sense as a starting third base candidate for Houston and Pittsburgh, a bench bat for the Phillies, and a protection for injuries for the Yankees and Braves. Fox Sports reported that Philadelphia might be willing to part with Kyle Kendrick for Baker. If that’s the case, I would be shocked if the Rockies don’t jump on it. A potential fifth starter for a bench player, that would be a win for the Rockies.

The latter two teams lack a sense of urgency, so it’s unlikely anything gets done.

Mesa, Ariz. – Lefty Greg Smith gets the starting call against a Cubs lineup of regular-season strength. It will be a good test for Smith, who’s coming back from the flu and needs to add innings. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said this morning that he expects Smith to throw three, possibly four innings.

Back in Tucson, Franklin Morales, battling Smith for the fifth-starters job, will pitch in a minor-league game. Right now it’s fair to say that Morales has the edge, but Morales must prove he’s not a meltdown waiting to happen.

Back from the WBC, Chris Iannetta starts at catcher. Manager Clint Hurdle said he doesn’t think Iannetta got near enough live at-bats playing for Team USA, so Hurdle’s going to do whatever he can to get Iannetta his swings. That means using him in some minor-league games got get multiple at-bats.

All three starters are missing from action again today as the Rockies host the Brewers at Hi Corbett Field. Troy Tulowitzki has been getting treatment for a stiff lower back. He was scratched from Saturday’s game in Surprise and predicted he would play today. Obviously, the back is bothering Tulo more than he’s letting on.

Hawpe tweaked his left hamstring on Friday and predicted he would play Sunday. No go. It’s not a big deal, expect that after missing two weeks with a lacerated pink, Hawpe needs the at-bats. He has only 14 this spring.

The Rockies are hopeful Atkins sore groin heals enough to allow him back on the field this week. If he’s not ready, he probably won’t be ready for the April 6 opener against Arizona.

At the plate: The day’s highlight soared off the bat of Rangers prospect Chad Tracy, son of Rockies bench coach Jim Tracy. The Rockies intentionally walked the bases full in the seventh, setting the stage for Chad Tracy. The 23-year-old promptly hammered a pitch by Jhoulys Chacin over the left-field wall for a grand slam.

On the Rockies’ side, Matt Murton continues making it tough for the club to leave him off the roster. He led off the sixth with a turbocharged line-drive homer to left off Rangers starter Kevin Millwood. It was Murton’s second homer of the spring. After going 1-for-4, he’s hitting .351.

Ian Stewart nearly parked one beyond dead center in the fourth. He settled for a triple, scoring on Jeff Baker’s infield grounder.

Joe Koshansky made amends for two early strikeouts by hitting his second home run of spring, a 450-foot drive to center to open the seventh.

On the mound: Jorge De La Rosa wasn’t as crisp as his last outing when he blanked the Dodgers for three innings. However, he pitched better than his line – four innings, three runs on six hits – indicated. He was the victim of a couple of cheap hits.

The best news was that De La Rosa didn’t collapse when he got in trouble. Plus, his stuff was dynamite. He mixed a 93-94 mph fastball with off-speed pitches in the low 80s en route to five strikeouts. He didn’t walk any.

“That’s good, no walks,” said De La Rosa, who was most pleased with his slider and changeup. “I’m starting to feel much better and have better command.”

Chacin, the prized right-handed prospect got rocked. He walked four, one intentionally, and also got pounded for five runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Though Chacin still makes mistakes by trying to blow the ball past hitters some times, it’s easy to see why the Rockies are so enamored with the 21-year-old. In the sixth inning, for instance, he used a trusty sinker to induce a groundball and escape a bases-loaded jam.

In the field: Fundamentals failed the Rockies in the third inning when left fielder Seth Smith and shortstop Omar Quintanilla miss-communicated on a shallow pop-up, leading to a cheap double by Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Footnotes: Troy Tulowitzki was a late scratch at shortstop because of a tight lower back. He would have been able to play has today’s game come in the regular season. Baker, the subject of trade rumors, continued his comeback from a sore right elbow. He started at second and played the entire game.

Surprise, Ariz. – Somewhere between Phoenix, the West Coast and 10,000 strip malls, the Rockies take on the Rangers today at Surprise Stadium.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, initially in the lineup as the No. 2 hitter, is a late-game scratch with what the Rockies called “a tight lower back.” He was replaced by Omar Quintanilla. More on that to come. Tulo is not in pain and would have been able to play if it were the regular season. The Rockies said sitting Tulo was “precautionary measure.”

Brad Hawpe was originally scheduled to make the trip, but his hamstring flared up Friday. He reiterated this morning that he’ll be fine, but he’s taking the day off as a precaution.

Jorge De La Rosa is out to prove that his last start wasn’t a fluke. He should pitch four, possibly five innings today against the Rangers.

At the plate: It only took Todd Helton 10 at-bats to surpass last spring’s home run total. After hitting one in 58 at-bats a year ago, Helton swatted his second this spring, a monstrous 430-foot blast into the grassy knoll in left-center field. It sounded like a gun shot coming off the bat.

“I am ready for the season to start, so I guess I am (ahead of schedule),’’ Helton said.

Omar Quintanilla continues to enjoy a strong spring that screams that he will land a roster spot, tripling in the first inning

On the mound: Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin never buckled in his first spring training start. One bad pitch – a hanging changeup that Evan Frey tripled to the left-field corner, scoring two runs – smeared an otherwise strong sinker-ball-heavy effort.

“I don’t worry about where I will start the season. Wherever they put me is fine,’’ said Chacin, when asked about the possibility of beginning the season in Triple-A.

Huston Street extended his scoreless streak to three innings with two spotless innings. Notably, he struck out two hitters. He had only one K this spring entering the game.

Pitching in a minor-league game against a mix of different level players, Aaron Cook worked six innings, allowing three earned runs on 78 pitches, while focusing on becoming less predictable.

“I threw a lot of breaking balls and off-speed stuff today,” Cook said. “It’s definitely a luxury to be able to work on this stuff. That’s great in a situation like this where if a guy crushes it really doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to get a feel for my pitches. At the end of the day, we’re all better for it.”

In the field: Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, re-entering the mix for a roster spot, showed off his athleticism with an over-the-shoulder catch to rob Tony Clark in the fourth inning.

Returning from back surgery, Helton showed no problem charging on bunt plays or navigating a rundown in the third inning.
“More than anything it’s how you feel the next day because you have adrenaline out there,’’ Helton said.

Up next: The Rockies host the Royals at Hi Corbett Field. Ubaldo Jimenez, in his first performance since the WBC, starts followed by leading closer candidate Manuel Corpas, Randy Flores, Juan Morillo and Ryan Speier. The Royals will start Kyle Davies.

Jason Hirsh is smart, perceptive. So when the Rockies switched the game plan on March 7, having him pitch after Franklin Morales instead of before him, he knew something was up. He received confirmation today, farmed out to the minor leagues, effectively removing him from the crowded fifth starter derby.

“It’s not a shock. I knew it was going to happen, I just wondered when, ’’ Hirsh told The Denver Post today. “Hopefully, I don’t have to spend too much time down there (in the minors). Physically I feel great and my mechanics are coming around.’’

Hirsh, the centerpiece of the Jason Jennings trade prior to the 2007 season, was optioned back to Triple-A where he spent much of last season recovering from a shoulder injury.
Hirsh played catch this morning, then retreated to the clubhouse, before exiting in street clothes before 9 a.m. The tall right-hander has struggled with this command this spring, and still has not seen his velocity return to the 93-mph range he had when acquired.
Other notables farmed out, included reliever Steven Register and infield prospects Eric Young Jr. and Chris Nelson, a former first-round choice who is making the transition to second base. The full list per the club:

The following players were all optioned to the minor leagues: Hirsh, Samuel Deduno, Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus and Register, as well as infielders Hector Gomez, Nelson and Young, Jr. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Cedrick Bowers, right-handed pitchers Matt Daley and Brandon Hynick, catcher Michael McKenry and outfielder Matt Miller have all been reassigned to minor league camp.

At the plate: Troy Tulowitzki is finding his groove. The shortstop raked a run-scoring single and a run-scoring double, raising his average to .241 and getting his first two RBIs.

Versatile Omar Quintanilla, playing for a roster spot, started at third base and produced a three-hit day that included a double, three RBIs and a walk. He’s having an excellent spring, hitting .370 while playing second, third and short.

Ryan Spilborghs got the Rockies on the board with a solo homer in the first and nearly parked another ball in the second. Scott Podesdnik, making a strong bid to be the fourth outfielder, showed off his speed with a fourth-inning triple.

On the mound: Left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa, in dire need of a solid start and a confidence boost, pitched three solid innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. In his only battle with Manny Ramirez, he got Ramirez to ground out to second.
Reliever Juan Morillo wasn’t as sharp as he has been, but he battled for one inning, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out one.

In the field: Eric Young Jr., continuing to get extensive playing time, displayed his athleticism in the fifth, leaping to snare a high throw, then swipe out Matt Kemp who was attempting to steal second.

Glendale, Ariz. – Jorge De La Rosa, in dire need of an effective start, gets a mighty test today against the Dodgers at their copper-colored new home, Camelback Ranch, somewhere between Phoenix and the Mojave Desert.

In other Rockies news, Aaron Cook will pitch Monday, but it won’t be against the Diamondback regulars at Tucson Electric Park. Instead, Cook will get his innings in against minor leaguers. Hot prospect Jhoulys Chacin will start against the D-Backs at TEP.

Greg Smith, recovering from a nasty case of the flu, expects to throw two innings Wednesday in a minor-league game. The rest of his big-league teammates get the day off – their only break during this long spring training.

Tempe, Ariz. – Lefty Franklin Morales (1-1, 5.00 in Cactus League play) looks to further solidify a spot in the rotation when he takes on the Angels today. He’ll face a lineup featuring Angels regulars Chone Figgins, Erick Aybar and Torri Hunter. About the only big gun missing is Vladimir Guerrero.

Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, hitting just .176, needs to starting turning it on to impress the Rockies’ brass. He gets the start in left field today.

At the plate: The Rockies continued hitting at a torrid pace as they claimed their fourth straight Cactus League victory. Yorvit Torrealba went 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs. Ryan Spilborghs bashed a triple and a double, knocking in three. Garrett Atkins laced three singles.
Sal Fasano crushed a mammoth solo homer to left in the eighth. It was his second of the spring.
Facing his old mates for the first time, Oakland’s Matt Holliday had two singles.

On the mound: Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, penciled in as the No. 4 starter, could be erased quickly if he keeps pitching as he did today. He was pulled in the first inning after throwing 40 pitches and getting just one out. With his mechanics clearly off, De La Rosa gave up five runs on four hits and walked three. He also uncorked a wild pitch. In his last two starts, De La Rosa has allowed 11 earned runs, 15 hits and five walks in a mere three innings. His spring ERA ballooned to 23.40.
“I’ve got no excuses, I just haven’t thrown the ball well so far,” De La Rosa said. “I can’t find my mechanics right now. I’ll keep working with Bob (pitching coach Bob Apodaca) to see what’s happening.”
The relief corps fared much better. Matt Daley threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing no base runners and striking out two. Right-hander Ryan Speier, closing in on a roster spot because of the injury to Taylor Buchholz, threw a solid two innings. Though he gave up two hits, Speier struck out three, including getting the final out of with runners in scoring position in the fifth.

In the field: Omar Quintanilla’s gold glove sparkled again today. He entered the game at second base for Clint Barmes in the sixth and promptly turned in the web game of the game. Racing deep into the hole in shallow right field, he gobbled up a grounder by Eric Patterson, pirouetted and threw out Patterson at first by a half step.

Footnotes: Brad Hawpe (lacerated left pinky) took batting practice in the cage today, but remains a few days away from playing. … Greg Smith, battling for a spot at the back of the rotation, has been scratched from his Friday start because of the flu.

Todd Helton hit after all today, batting third in nearly every inning for both teams in the intrasquad scrimmage at Hi Corbett Field. Feeling strong after a morning workout, Helton doubled in his first at-bat and singled to left in his third at-bat. He was not listed in the lineup, but was inserted at game time. He finished 2-for-6 through three innings, and every at-bat lasted at least four pitches. Ian Stewart also homered off Huston Street, the only run the right-hander allowed.

Batting for the home team in the top of the first inning, following Eric Young Jr. and Omar Quintanilla, he was vintage Helton.

His first at-bat against projected No. 3 starter Jason Marquis went as follows: first pitch fastball strike on the outside corner, check swing on an inside curveball, ball one high and inside, ball two low, fifth pitch fouled off, sixth pitch ball high and outside, seveth pitch line-drive double that nearly drew chalk down the left-field line. Helton scored from second on a single to left by Carlos Gonzalez.

His second at-bat came against left-hander Glendon Rusch. Facing left-handers is something Helton indentified as important as the spring progresses. On a 1-2 count against Rusch, Helton grounded out to second base.

In a four pitch at-bat his third time up, Helton answered with a hard line drive single between third base and shortstop off Marquis. Helton foul tipped a changeup to start the at-bat, then battled to get into a 2-1 hitter’s count before swatting a fastball into left field.

Facing Rusch a second time, Helton fell behind 1-2 as Rusch painted the outside corner with his fastball. Helton worked the at-bat, getting into a full count, before flying out to center field. That left 2-for-4 in the scrimmage and 3-for-6 counting Sunday’s performance against the Padres.

In Helton’s fifth at-bat, Rusch attacked him again by working the corners. Helton fouled two pitches off, and, with a full-count, flew out to left field, advancing the runner from second to third. Following Stewart’s home run, Helton faced Street. He grounded softly to shortstop.

Helton’s spring debut Sunday still had teammates buzzing this morning. They talked about easy Helton made the game look with his monstrous home run off San Diego’s Chris Young. “What do you expect? That’s Todd,” pitcher Aaron Cook said.

Todd Helton won’t DH in the intrasquad game today at soggy Hi Corbett Field. But there is no reason for concern. He told me this morning his back feels the same as it has after his regular workouts. He will return to the lineup soon, likely Tuesday at home against the Oakland Athletics and former teammate Matt Holliday.
“I feel good,” Helton said.

His home run Sunday was still the talk in the clubhouse. Troy Tulowitzki joked that the game isn’t supposed to “be that easy.” Matt Belisle explained, “You don’t know how hard it is to center a ball like that.” And Ryan Spilborghs summed it up: “It was awesome. Awesome. It was a great moment.”

Some housecleaning: As it stands Jorge De La Rosa said he will start Tuesday against Oakland. Greg Smith, who was back in the clubhouse today following his illness, will likely piggyback. With Panama eliminated in the World Baseball Classic, Manuel Corpas should return to Tucson shortly. He has pitched well this spring as he tries to regain his closer’s role. Reliever Jason Grilli’s Italian team plays an elimination game tonight against Canada in Toronto. And Ubaldo Jimenez will start a must-win game for the Dominican Republic Tuesday against the winner of Puerto Rico and the Netherlands. Rockies’ catcher Chris Iannetta showed off last night, driving in four runs in the Americans’ 15-6 rout of Venezuela last night.

At the plate:Eric Young Jr., the pterodactyls in his stomach now butterflies, is playing much more relaxed. His electrifying speed showed up again Sunday, as he doubled and scored easily on a shallow sacrifice fly to center field. Ryan Spilborghs posted his second straight solid game, crushing a pair of doubles. The second spot in the order is 8-for-9 the last two days. Ian Stewart returned from a long injury absence and laced a double to left field in his first at-bat. And if you haven’t heard or read by now, Todd Helton homered in is first at-bat.

On the mound:Greg Reynolds re-entered the race for the fifth starter’s spot with four scoreless innings. His sinker was much heavier, and his curveball came back into play. He said that he worked extensively from the stretch during his side sessions, which paid dividends as he had a smoother delivery with runners on base. Josh Fogg, moved up a day with Greg Smith out with the flu, worked three innings, allowing one earned run. Smith is now scheduled to pitch Tuesday against his former Oakland teammates.

In the field:It was a third-inning pool table play. Third baseman Garrett Atkins deflected a groundball to his left that shortstop Omar Quintanilla gloved and darted to first baseman Todd Helton to erase Jody Gerut.

Up next:Rockies will eschew off day for an intrasquad game. Helton is expected to serve as the designated hitter. Scheduled pitchers include Jason Marquis, Glendon Rusch, Randy Flores Ryan Mattheus, Shane Lindsay and Steven Register.

There is a different buzz today that is not created by Red Bull. Todd Helton will make his debut, playing his first game since offseason back surgery. Helton will get two at-bats, meaning he will play 3-to-4 innings. He’s on schedule to be ready, barring any setbacks.

Greg Smith, a candidate for the fifth starter’s spot, has been scratched from today’s game with flu-like symptoms. Greg Reynolds will start. Reynolds has a 9.00 ERA in five innings this spring. He’s likely to start in Triple-A.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.